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Amid the onslaught of devastating hurricanes this fall, today’s tip has to do with keeping your pets safe in serious weather. From Ask.Vet—a pay (but pretty cheap) service that lets you text a vet for help 24/7—here are five tips to help ensure your pet is ready to evacuate in the event of a dangerous storm:

1. Have medical records in more than one place
Make sure all of your pet’s vaccine and medical history records are printed and put in a waterproof sleeve and/or on a USB stick.

RELATED: Buy a Pet First-Aid Kit Here

2. Don’t forget the necessities
That means you need to have collars with tags, leashes, and carriers for every pet that is in your home. You also need to locate several vet clinics in the area to which you plan to evacuate—text the vets at Ask.Vet for a list of clinics in your planned evacuation city.

RELATED: The Hurricane App Floridians Use … and Travelers Should, Too

3. Keep all your pet meds in the same place
This makes it easy to grab and go. In addition, talk to your vet about which medications are vital (e.g. heart medication) and which aren’t a big deal to miss (e.g. allergy medications). Get refills of the vital ones just in case.

4. Have a go-kit ready
While your go-kit should contain obvious necessities like food and bowls, don’t forget other essentials like pre-ziplocked bags of litter, potty pads, and trash bags.

5. Know your state laws
In many states, it’s illegal to force owners to leave their pets behind—find out what your legal rights are in your state. In addition, have a list of 2-3 pet-friendly hotels and their contact info at least two hours away from your house.

For more, learn how to build a first-aid kit for your pet.

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